10 Jobs Offering Unexpectedly High Salaries For People Without Degrees

Throughout your middle school, and high school years all of your teachers, coaches, and counselors probably drilled it into your head to do well academically in high school so you could get into a good college, and get a good job. What a lot of people don’t understand is that not everybody can afford to go to college these days. Maybe you don’t qualify for financial assistance, and your parents cant afford to pay for you to go, or you simply can’t fathom being in a lot of student loan debt right after you get your degree. Whatever your reason may be for not being able to attend college, you don’t have to worry about not getting a well-paying job. There are a lot of jobs that pay well that require little to no schooling, and here are just a few.

1. Plumber

The annual salary of a plumber ranges from about $37,500 to $67,150 (USD). You only need to have a High School Diploma to become a plumber, but you have to go through an apprenticeship for about 4-5 years before you can start to make those big bucks.

Advertising

2. Construction Supervisor

A construction supervisor can expect to make anywhere from $46,970 to $76,700 (USD) annually. You only need a high school diploma or equivalent qualification for this job, but you have to put in a solid 4+ years of good old fashioned work to become a construction supervisor.

3. Brick Mason

With your diploma, or GED, and 3-4 years in an apprenticeship, you can become a Brick Mason (Brick Layer). A Brick Mason pulls in $35,860-$62,810 (USD) annually.

Advertising

4. Electrical Power-Line Installers/Repairers

You can expect to earn an average annual salary of about $64,170 (USD) in this field, and you typically only need your High School Diploma to get a job like this. Another incentive to get into this area? Experts in the industry have predicted a 9% growth in employment from 2012-2022.

5. Gaming Managers

A gaming manager is someone who is in charge of the operations in a casino. This industry has been slowly growing over the years so there is an opportunity that more jobs will become available over time. You really only need your diploma, and you could expect to make an average $66,200 (USD) in this role.

Advertising

6. Power Plant Operators

While vocational training is highly preferred, it is not required in this field- just make sure you have your diploma! A Power Plant Operators average salary is around $68,100 (USD) per year, but may come with the burden of shift work.

7. Detectives or Criminal Investigators

If your dream career is becoming a detective, but getting a degree puts this dream out of the realm of possibility for you, think again. Although it may take longer than you’d anticipated, you can become a detective without going to college. What you will have to do is get accepted into a police academy, and serve on the police force for a few years, and then when the opportunity arises, go for it! It may seem like a long shot, but with an average annual salary of $76,730 (USD) it’s definitely worth a try!

Advertising

8. Transportation, Storage and Distribution Managers

With the shipping industry only getting stronger, this is a good job to look in to. This job requires you to plan and direct the logistics involved in planning and shipping merchandise efficiently. The average annual salary for this job is around $83,890 (USD) and only requires a diploma, if you are willing to work up the company ladder.

9. Sales Representative

The only thing required of you for this kind of job is your high school diploma, and the drive and ability to sell bottled water to a fish. Sales Reps can find jobs in almost any industry, and can expect to earn around $35,000 to $113,000 (USD) annually.

10. Purchasing Manager

A purchasing manager has a lot of responsibility, from interviewing vendors, to negotiating contracts. Hence, they often need to put in quite a few hours. But with an annual average salary of $91,431 (USD), and the role only requiring a diploma, it’s worth considering!

The Lifehack Show Episode 7: Following Your Calling

In this episode, Joseph Wilner, licensed clinical psychotherapist and certified life-coach, talks about finding and fulfilling your calling in life. Joseph blends his passion of music, and following his dreams of being a drummer, with his expertise in psychology to help people live a more intentional and meaningful life.

Joseph believes everyone has a calling, or several callings, where their passions and strengths can merge to create a successful life of contribution and significance.